Since my last report about tracking bearded vultures, another six birds have been added to the rapidly growing list of bearded vultures that have received tracking devices. Of those only two had been named. The naming process has become a much more pursued part of the programme and now all but the latest addition, a nestling, have been named.

The map below shows where the twelve birds are keeping and moving. It also supplies great info on which areas could be the best to visit if one wanted to see beardies…

On the second day of the New Year I took a chance to visit GGHNP, obviously with the hope of seeing a bearded vulture… This has been a most elusive tick for me, second only to the Pel’s fishing owl, which, by the way, I have vowed WILL be ticked in 2011 as well.

Anyhow… Some time (years) ago one of the HR groups started talk about putting up a proper bird hide at GGHNP’s vulture restaurant and I thought it would have been done by now. So, I tackled that climb up the hill with two motivational factors helping to combat the shortness of breath and the run-away heartbeat that wanted to make my eyes pop. The bird hide thingy had not happened yet (BIG disappointment! I think one can write that one off by now…) and, worse, only two jackals could be seen amongst the skin and bones, quickly scampering away.

Some time later after I had recovered from the strenuous exertion and noticed this BoP-like bird moving over the park at a fantastic rate of knots… I got off three rapid-fire shots at it. Back at home the “darkroom” stage revealed that my trusty 40D had nailed the feathers of a beardie… Nothing like Lizet’s fantastic encounter(s), but I’ll take it!